Lake Racing

News

A nine-hour road trip to Wagga paid dividends on Saturday when stable newcomer Don&rsquo;tcallmechamp won at his first start since joining the team. In search of the right kick-off option following an encouraging recent jump out, Blaike McDougall executed the ride perfectly over the 1200 metres with the gelding going on to score by a length with the blinkers applied first-up. No Bendigo-trained horse at won at the New South Wales venue in over nine years. The son of Overshare, who hadn&rsquo;t won since November 2024, was well supported and jumped favourite at $3.80. &ldquo;He was well placed and it worked out perfectly,&rdquo; McDougall said. &ldquo;He was too good, when I let him go he was raw and did a lot wrong still. &ldquo;But with his rating and well placed well I think you might have some fun with him.&rdquo; The son of Overshare looks like he will be best placed at sprinting trips with both his victories coming first-up at 1100 and 1200 metres. It was the stables third win since October from just limited runners which has also included five placings. Dont'callmechamp is the fourth tried horse to win at their first run for the new stable. Congratulations to the connections of Don&rsquo;t&rsquo;callmechamp:&nbsp;H Fyffe, M Fitzpatrick, K Cini, X Thompson, S Wilkins, P Mercuri, D Cobden &amp; R Gore

Cheers for Champ at stable debut

Toby Lake

MIGHTY Mac showed he was a stayer on the rise saluting at Geelong on Friday at his first attempt beyond 2000 metres. The son of Exceedance had finished second at his last two outings since blinkers were applied and a step up to 2400 metres proved the winning formula going on to win by a neck under the urgings of Jack Hill. Part-owned by assistant trainer Jacob Rule, the four-year-old was astutely picked out for just $2,250 and has earned close to $35,000 in his short time in the stable. &ldquo;He looked a staying type that was slightly raced,&rdquo; Rule said of his purchase. &ldquo;He is very green and does a lot of things wrong but he has a bit of scope &ldquo;Hopefully he&rsquo;s now had a kill he can gain a bit of confidence from it and be on the right path.&rdquo; Mighty Mac has been narrowly defeated at Wangaratta on Melbourne Cup Day just ten days prior and was also runner-up at St Arnaud on Cox Plate Day. The victory of Mighty Mac broke a run of placings for the stable with four placings from the teams last seven runners. Congratulations to the connections of Mighty Mac: Jacob Rule

Mac hits scoreboard at Geelong

Courtesy of Winning Post A brilliant training performance by Bendigo&rsquo;s Toby Lake saw Holly&rsquo;s Star take last Saturday&rsquo;s Manangatang Cup, first up over 2000 metres at her first run for the stable. Lake employed a raft of gear changes, adding blinkers and pre-race earmuffs while removing the lugging bit. Despite most of the mare&rsquo;s better form being over longer distances, she started a well supported $6 chance. Given a patient ride by Rose Hammond, Holly&rsquo;s Star appreciated the fast tempo set by fellow Bendigo galloper Paltinian. Her staying ability came to the fore as she looped the field and dived late to get up in the final stride. The pace had been so fierce up front that Holly&rsquo;s Star broke the track record. The five-year-old Tosen Stardom mare has an abundance of stamina, as highlighted by a placing over 3000 metres at Mornington last preparation, when she was trained by Emma-Lee and David Browne. The St Arnaud Cup (2000m) on October 25 is the next logical stop for the mare ahead of staying contests over the summer months.

Holly's Star wins Manangatang Cup

STABLE star Fieldelo has been crowned the Bendigo Horse of the Year for the 2024-25 season at a function at the Bendigo Jockey Club on Saturday evening.
Fieldelo was also recognised as the best performing sprinter in Bendigo for her efforts under 1400 metres by a panel of judges &ndash; which included two victories and second placings at Flemington and in the Listed Lightning Stakes in Adelaide.
It was a proud moment for the stable in just the teams second season in operation and Toby joined his father Steven Lake on the honour roll as a winner of the award &ndash; having trained Master&rsquo;s Degree to be crowned Horse of the Year in 2013/14.
&ldquo;For a filly to have only had five starts and be recognised for her level of ability was very pleasing and I am sure the best is still ahead of her,&rdquo; Toby Lake said.
&ldquo;A big thank you to her owners managed by Mark Schiavello for allowing me to be patient with her which has helped her reach those heights already.&rdquo;
Having recently turned four, the daughter of Deep Field has recently returned to training with an eye to returning to the races in late October.
The stable also finished equal second on the Bendigo Trainers Premiership, while Dandruff was also recognised as a finalist for the Stayer of the Year after winning four races across the season.
Congratulations to the connections of Fieldelo: M Schiavello, D Willis, Deg Racing, D Schiavello, D Smith, S Sewell, M Zacharia, P Breden, D Sharp, T Nation, C Lester, J Williams, A Gold, D Savage &amp; D Houston

Fieldelo crowned Bendigo's best

DANRDRUFF enhanced his credentials as Lake Racing&rsquo;s most-winning racehorse after his fifth success following the Adrian Ledger Memorial at Albury last Friday. In what was the well-travelled gallopers second win in his last four starts at Albury, it has been a fruitful winter campaign for the son of Written Tycoon who has banked close to $40,000 in four runs with placings also at Morphettville and Wagga. John Kissick took the ride and came with a looping run around the field to score by 2.2-lenthgs over 2000 metres on the heavy 8 surface. It was a sentimental win for owner Jacob Rule, with the race named after the late Adrian Ledger who lost his life in a race fall in 2005. &ldquo;Chuffed to win the Adrian Ledger memorial at Albury with a horse that I part own,&rdquo; Rule said. &ldquo;When I was a kid in Wangaratta learning to ride trackwork &lsquo;Adi&rsquo; was the nicest bloke to me, I rode work with him on occasions and he looked out for me and always helped me out. It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve never forgotten. &ldquo;The Ledger family are the most amazing people and they have also been really good to me throughout my time growing up and also once I was race-riding. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s for you Adi.&rdquo; A stable favourite, Dandruff has now career earnings of over $117,000 in his 24 starts to date and is sure to continue to thrive throughout winter. <a href="https://racing.racingnsw.com.au/FreeFields/VideoResult.aspx?MeetDate=2025Jul18&amp;VenueCode=MjU0NTI=&amp;RaceNumber=2&amp;MeetingCategory=Professional&amp;VideoFileType=FullReplay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Click here to view race replay</a> Congratulations to the connections of Dandruff:&nbsp;Smart Racing Stables &amp; Jacob Rule

Special Ledger Memorial win for Dandruff

Courtesy of Racenet DANDRUFF didn't win at Wagga on Sunday, but the Bendigo galloper ticked off a major milestone for a horse that wasn't expected to live long, let alone race as a six-year-old. The Toby Lake-trained Dandruff broke through the $100,000 prizemoney threshold with his third placing in a 2000m race at Wagga, something the stable never thought would happen. Luck deserted Dandruff as a young horse when multiple infections racked his facial structure, requiring surgeries just to save his life. Racing wasn't a thought as vets initially thought their efforts to keep Dandruff alive would fail. "He should be dead, this horse," Lake said. "He's had two sinus operations, and he's got a big chunk of bone missing out of his face. "It was all infected and he had a bone infection as well. "He also had a bit of bone sticking out. "After a couple of operations, the vet advised the owners to put him down." Thankfully Lake and Dandruff's owners didn't immediately take veterinary advice. Instead, they decided to let the gelding relax in a paddock while they worked out what to do with the son of Written Tycoon. However, Mother Nature had a surprise in store for Lake a few months later. "Anyway, we just went back to nature, and he went out into the paddock with some young horses for about six months and we just forgot about him," Lake said. "We went out to the farm when the six months was done, and he trotted up to us in the paddock and his face had healed. "It had all healed over. Sometimes time just heals everything. "We brought him back into work and he's been a great money-spinner ever since." Dandruff showed staying ability in his first few starts before achieving what was thought impossible a year earlier when he posted his maiden win in emphatic fashion at Swan Hill in April last year. While not being a world beater, Dandruff posted a second win at Swan Hill last year and victories at Ararat and Albury this year. "He's just been an honest old horse and a few more of them would be great for any stable," Lake said. "He's earned everything he's got. "He's tough and he's brave." Lake said Dandruff has attracted his own following as he travels from his Bendigo base to tracks in Victoria and southern New South Wales. There's a great story behind all of them, but this horse has been amazing. "He's got a little bit of a cult following on the country circuit," Lake said. "Every time we're at the races, everyone is asking about him. "He's just a ripper that old horse." Punters can expect to see Dandruff on a wet track in the coming weeks. "We've been waiting for wet ground and now the rain has come, there's plenty of options for him," Lake said. "He doesn't take much work between runs, but we're sort of weather-dependent with him."

Dandruff brushes off the doubters

Courtesy of Racenet MANY trainers have to wait a lot longer than two years for a horse like Fieldelo. Former picnic rider Toby Lake will get a guide on whether he has a stakes contender after Fieldelo runs in Saturday's fifth heat of the Creswick Sprint Series (1100m) at Flemington. The three-year-old will be on trial for a start in the Listed AR Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington early next month should she perform up to expectations in her maiden city assignment. "Saturday just determines her next step, whether we go to the Creswick Final in two weeks or whether we wait for something else thereafter," Lake said. "We're going to learn a lot about her on Saturday but she's going to line up in really good order. "We don't know where her ceiling is." Lake has spaced Fieldelo's two runs. The Deep Field filly won on debut at Kilmore last November but blitzed her opposition when a seven-length winner when resuming at Bendigo on May 30. "It worked out there was a soft option at Bendigo for her so we went there," Lake said. "She's a young horse and as we saw at her first start, she did a lot wrong but was still able to win. "We just thought, if we took her to the softest option and she did it again, she might get away with it, but she blew them away." Lake, who received his licence to prepare his small team at his Bendigo base less than two years ago, said Fieldelo arrived at his stable needing some work before she got to the races. "She came to me a bit over 12 months ago and she was half broken in," Lake said. "The breakers had a bit of difficulty with her and through a friend and good client, Mark Schiavello, she arrived at my stables basically with the plan to just get her back on track. "She needed to have some education and get her career on the right path." Lake said Fieldelo learned quickly with the trainer having the benefit of getting to know the sprinter from riding her in daily trackwork. He said Fieldelo's long education process had started to show, with a constantly improving attitude to her racing aiding her development. "I could see very early on that she was a very sharp filly and she was a point-and-shoot type," Lake said. "I only had to show her something once and she'd pick it up so we let her come around. "She was a little bit hot and cantankerous when she first started but she's starting to really enjoy her racing as she showed at Bendigo. "We just nurtured her along and gave the best start to life we could and she's ready for the next step."

Unbeaten Fiedelo on trial for stakes target

EXCITING filly Fieldelo has made a statement at her first racetrack appearance in 2025 when the daughter of Deep Field returned with a seven-length victory at Bendigo on Friday.
Keeping intact an unbeaten record which began at Kilmore in November, her owners patience looks set to be rewarded as she clocked a blistering 57.02 for the 1000 metres under Harry Coffey.
&ldquo;I want to thank Mark Schiavello and all the owners they&rsquo;ve been unbelievable&hellip; she needed a month out and we started again and nobody had anything to say and it&rsquo;s a credit to them today,&rdquo; Toby Lake said.
&ldquo;I felt confident today &ndash; she just gives me so much confidence this filly.
&ldquo;She tried to throw the race away and talent got her there (on debut).
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s a much more furnished product this time &ndash; I am just pumped.
&ldquo;We won&rsquo;t overtax her she&rsquo;s done a great job and there is plenty of upside.&rdquo;
Fiedelo will step out in June and look to take the next step to metropolitan level ahead of stakes ambitions before the end of her three-year-old season.
The victory was also pleasingly the first with Harry Coffey for the stable who was naturally impressed with her talent.
&ldquo;She really let down nicely&hellip; I loved the way she quickened at the top of the straight and then she probably idled off and still had the ability to get away from them late,&rdquo; Coffey said.
The victory capped a good week for the stable with stalwart stayer Dandruff recording his fourth win with a last to first victory first-up at Albury on Tuesday over 2000 metres.
He looked to relish the soft conditions and sets up for a promising winter campaign. Lake Racing has now trained four winners from the past 20 runners.
<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2025-05-30/apiam-bendigo/race/5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Click here to view Fieldelo race replay</a>
Congratulations to the connections of Fieldelo and Dandruff:&nbsp;M A Schiavello, D M C Willis, Deg Racing, D M Schiavello, D A Smith, S Sewell, M W Zacharia, P A S Breden, D Sharp, T J Nation, C J Lester, J Williams, A Gold, D W Savage, D R Houston,&nbsp;Smart Racing Stables &amp; J Rule

Fieldelo flies at racetrack return

<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a">
<div dir="auto">WE are heartbroken and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Fiona Ralph who was a much loved member of our tight-knit stable&nbsp;&nbsp;<img class="xz74otr x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tba/1/16/1f54a.png" alt="🕊️" height="16" /> </div>
</div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a">
<div dir="auto">Fiona arrived to work with an infectious smile each morning and loved nothing more than spending time with the horses she so dearly loved. </div>
</div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a">
<div dir="auto">Our deepest sympathies go out to Fiona&rsquo;s family at this difficult time and we know our horses will have an angel watching them from above&nbsp;&nbsp;<img class="xz74otr x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t6c/1/16/1f499.png" alt="💙" height="16" />&nbsp;<img class="xz74otr x168nmei x13lgxp2 x5pf9jr xo71vjh" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tfd/1/16/1f9e1.png" alt="🧡" height="16" /></div>
</div>

Fiona Ralph: Forever remembered

Courtesy of Racing.com TOBY Lake battled a common conundrum faced by many young trainers when he was shopping at his first-ever yearling sale last year at Inglis Premier. The 27-year-old was taking the plunge into the lottery which is the yearling market and wondered, in his first year of training, just how many horses he could afford to 'spec' and on-sell to owners. With a dwindling shortlist and limited budget, he had to let slide a Nicconi filly out of Pinker Pinker Plate winner No Excuses Bec who he had taken a liking to, when vendors asked for a $50,000 reserve. To Lake's surprise, he received a phone call six weeks later from Ian Gilcrist at Fulmen Park, asking if he was still interested in buying the filly at a reduced price. "'Gilly' rang me to say the owner of the horse had passed away and if I was still interested in buying her, the family wanted to sell down the stock," he recalls. "She was all of a sudden affordable, but I'd purchased two yearlings at that sale already and didn't know if I could fill another but thankfully Roll the Dice (Racing) backed me in and we've got a great group of owners involved. "Gilly has stayed in as well which is fantastic - he was my first boss when I moved to Melbourne and worked for Ciaron Maher." Having finished second in the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush last year with $15,000 buy Linkvue, Lake soon identified that he could have another contender for his rich local juvenile race. "Pretty much since I bought her I've had this race in mind, so you could say it's been a target race and she's prepped up well," he explained. "She's been a filly we've liked the whole way through and she's showed she's an early going type and has been really straightforward. "They (Scusies and Linkvue) are similar types of horses, both forward types, I'd say this filly has a little bit more potential to train on and looks as though whatever she does now she will improve on at three." Scusies, marked an $8.50 chance with Sportsbet, has drawn barrier three and will be ridden by Jye McNeil after a series of quiet jumpouts. "She was a little bit keen going early on, so you will see in her trials we've restrained her even after beginning well and made sure she has switched off early and finishing off," Lake said. "I think 1100 metres will be perfect, she might have found the 1000 metres a little bit sharp. "We've been lucky enough to give her a few gallops on the course proper out of the chute, so that's been a big advantage for us." Lake also trains the highly promising Fieldelo, who defeated the smart Sweethearted at her only race start back in November on Kilmore Cup Day. She has resumed training and is being aimed at the Creswick Sprint Series over winter. Lake joins fellow local trainers Brent Stanley, Rod Symons and Les Robertson with runners on Golden Mile Raceday.

Sale disappointment to Golden glory?

IT was an Australia Day to remember for The Cast Off and her connections on Friday at Hanging Rock when the daughter of Pariah made a winning start to her career.
Stepping out over 1600 metres against the older horses, Laura Lafferty positioned her midfield in running and despite racing greenly in the straight was too classy for her rivals.
It was a fairytale start for the McTaggart family and their part-owners who paid $3250 for the filly and have already collected $11,000 at her first race start.
The Cast Off has continued to improve with each preparation and trial and given her breeding is expected to get out further in distance with her mother by Savabeel and a winner over 2200 metres.
The victory followed on from the nose defeat last Sunday from Boho Miss at Benalla last Sunday.
The stables hard work is now hopefully coming to fruition and if you wish to be part of the journey, sign up to the mailing list on the website homepage, and be first to hear about our next purchases.
<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2024-01-26/hanging-rock/race/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Click here to watch the replay</a>
Congratulations to the connections of The Cast Off: A McTaggart, K McTaggart, One More Please, S Barlow, S Featherstone, K McTaggart and A Byrne

The Cast Off wins on debut

Join Our Mailing List

FOLLOW US